Goldfinger
Goldfinger
Director: Guy Hamilton
Producers: Albert R. Broccoli and Harry Saltzman
Writers: Ian Fleming (novel); Richard Maibaum & Paul Dehn
Title Song: Lyrics by Leslie Bricusse and Sung by Shirley Bassey
Opening Action Sequence: Bond uses a piton hook to scale the side of a drug-filled complex, which he quickly destroys with plastic explosives. After returning to his hotel, he discovers that he has been set up by one of his lovers, resulting in a brawl and ending in the electrocution of the enemy.
Bond Visits: United States (Florida and Kentucky); Munich, Germany; Switzerland
Film Gross: $51,081,62--United States; $124,900,000--Worldwide
Plot Summary: 007's old friend Felix Leiter (Cec Linder) asks
him to keep his eye on Auric Goldfinger (Gert Frobe), a prominent and suspicious
gold dealer. The Bank of England suspects that Goldfinger has been
stockpiling mass quantities of gold bullion, but is puzzled as to what his
plans may be.
James Bond (Sean Connery) meets Goldfinger at his prestigious golf club and engages in a game with the villain, using a bar of gold to appeal to the villain's lust for riches. Later, he visits Auric's hideout in Munich and is introduced to Pussy Galore (Honor Blackman), Goldfinger's personal pilot and co-conspirator in his plan to carry out "Operation: Grand Slam" : the raid and destruction of Fort Knox.
In order to foil Auric's plans to ruin Western economy, 007 uses his high-tech
car and his calm under pressure to defeat a multitude of Goldfinger's hired
hands. His greatest challenge is Oddjob (Harold Sakata), a Korean thug
who uses his razor-sharp bowler hat to decapitate his enemies. James
also must disarm an intricate bomb, set in the heart of Fort Knox, before
he and an enormous supply of gold are blown sky high.
Review: After decades of wonderful Bond adventures,
Goldfinger is still at the top of the heap. Continuous action
combined with an enjoyable yet improbable plot have made this the definitive
James Bond thrill-ride, next to which all of the others don't quite match
up.
Goldfinger
boasts one of the most ruthless and intelligent Bond villains. Gert
Frobe's personification of greed and arrogance as Auric Goldfinger (think
of him as a modern-day King Midas) quickly convinces the audience that
Bond is indeed mortal, even though we're fairly sure that 007 absolutely
has to return for another film.
And do I even have to mention Goldfinger's faithful henchman, Oddjob? This Korean caddy is clearly one of the most impressive and innovative thugs Bond has come up against. Like Bond himself, Oddjob has been parodied and mimicked for years, but he truly is one of a kind.
A lot of firsts are jammed into Goldfinger. This film marks the first time that we get to see Q-Branch in action, complete with smoke and bullets flying in every direction. Also, Shirley Bassey sings an unforgettable title song, the first true Bond song of the series and a great way to kick-off a tradition.
As if that weren't enough, we 're introducted to James's gadget-filled Aston Martin DB5, which is still firmly imprinted as a part of the James Bond image.
And can you imagine that the lead female character in Goldfinger is immune to 007's charm? Neither can James, which makes for an interesting battle of wills (and judo) between the assertive Pussy Galore and the suave Mr. Bond.
Director Guy Hamilton's intriguing use of light and shadow throughout the movie creates a moody and exciting atmosphere in which Bond seems particularly dangerous. This, combined with Goldfinger's demonic presence and the ruthlessness of Connery's hard-edged Bond, heightens the raw intensity throughout the picture.
This film could best be described as a cinematic, yet thoughtful, comic book. It weaves fascinating and dark characters through an unbelievable environment in which only the best man wins. It plants our favorite action hero in preposterous situations and lets him think his way out of them at the last second. Here is the undeniable staple in the James Bond phenomenon, one which comprises everything that we expect from a 007 action film, or any other.
Goldfinger is an absolute must for anyone who is interested in the James Bond series, or just wants to see what all the hype is about. It has all of those recognizable Bond trademarks, wrapped into one ingeniously creative package, and has yet to be duplicated or outdone. This is the film in which the James Bond formula was perfected.
Grade: A+